Until several years ago, asbestos was commonly used in insulation of commercial and residential structures. This fireproof material allowed pipes and ducts to be insulated to retain heat or cold, yet had little bulk. Floors, walls and ceilings were also insulated to limit heat loss between floors or through walls. Asbestos fibers were also incorporated into ceiling tiles and other building materials for the fire-retardant characteristics thereof as well as for the insulating properties thereof.
However, various studies conducted and published in recent decades have revealed the dangers of breathing even small amounts of asbestos fibers. As insulation coverings break down, tiny fibers are released into the air and into the environment. The microscopic nature of these fibers allows them to be inhaled and, once inhaled may migrate into tiny air sacs of the lungs. Even small numbers of these fibers trapped in the air sacs of the lungs can generate a violent irritation spawning the production of abnormal body cells.
To protect the population from exposure to asbestos, asbestos insulating materials containing asbestos fibers are removed from dwellings and commercial structures. The dangers associated with asbestos fibers are so great, workers on such jobs must wear protective clothing and filter masks or respirators to avoid breathing the fibers loosened during removal.
Accordingly, the art has included several systems for removing asbestos-fiber containing material from work areas. These systems generally include a vacuum system which is connected to a collection bag into which fiber-containing materials are placed. Materials are sucked into the collection bag for removal and disposal. Once the materials are placed in the collection bag, the bag is closed and sealed and moved to a proper disposal area. The dangers are so great that this removal work is often carried out in a clean room-type environment so that any fibers that might be released are moved out of the environs as quickly and as reliably as possible.
Unfortunately, for various reasons, during the collection of the fiber-containing materials, such materials have a tendency to agglomerate into "chunks", especially while the materials are being stored in the collection bag during the collection process.
For proper asbestos removal, it is necessary to remove the air from the collection bags containing such collected and bagged asbestos. This helps reduce the incidence of bag puncture and the concomitant release of harmful asbestos particles into the environment during the bagging step. It also contributes to more efficient handling and storing of such bags. Heretofore, these "chunks" have found their way back into the asbestos removal system, or its parts, such as the hose thereof, especially during the step of removing air from the filled collection bags.
Removing the materials, either dry or wet, from the hose and other system elements can be an onerous, time-consuming task which vitiates the overall efficiency of an asbestos-removal project.
Therefore, there is a need for a means and a method for improving the overall efficiency of an asbestos-removal project which increases the efficiency of the bagging step by preventing agglomerated particles from moving out of a collection bag into the vacuum system or the parts thereof.